Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 15, Number 275, Decatur, Adams County, 19 November 1917 — Page 1

Volume XV. Number 275.

FATE OF VENICE Hangs in Balance—ltalians Are Confident They Can Hold Line. IN HIS OWN DEFENSE Premier Lloyd George Speaks Today—Asquith With the Opposition. (United Press Service) With the Italian Armies, Nov. 19— (Special to Daily Democrat) —The Piave river line still holds. Today with what seemed to be the most desparate pressure the enemy has yet exerted in its drive, the Italian lines held firm. Intense fighting was in progress along the whole front—a violent artillery duel interspersed with attacks and counter attacks. It was reported today that at the fewpoints where the Austro-German force succeeded in forcing a crossing a fewdays ago, the vigor of Italian attacks had constricted their positions so that they were menaced with imminent annihilation. The two greatest centers of the fighting today were on the Alsago plateau, far to the north and in the middle of the Piave line. Monentaiy breaches in the Piave front have been plugged at every point except at Fagare. The enemy suffered terrible losses from this plugging process, being caught under infilading fire which annihilated whole units closely packed from slowly constricted Italian pressure. At Fagare the enemy still retained a toe hold today. They were clinging desparately to a few hundred feet of the river bank and under terrific fire from massed Italian batteries. At Folina. where the Austrians had succeeded in a crossing. Italian troops swept them back on the far side of| the stream. Venice's fate still hung in the balance today, according to front des- ; patches. The enemy has hit a stone wall in the Piave line. But they have pressed this w-all back a few precious yards to the point of grave danger. Today the Italians centered their efforts to relieve these points of the tremendous pressure applied to them, and were reported to have strengthened them. Thwarted of a break in the lin.r by his first impetus assault, the enemy is taday bringing bigger guns into action More Austrian and German airplanes have been called on. Some W these swooped over plain cities behind the Italian lines todayj dropping proclamations boastfully announcing the exact schedule on which the invading army proposed to travel. The date on which the German-Aus-trian forces propose to occupy every| rme of the major Italian cities in the northern provinces was carefully set i forth.

(By Ed L. Keen, United Press staff , correspondent.) London, Nov. 19—(Special to Daily Democrat)— Premier Lloyd George faced the critical period of his life today unperturbed and in his best fighting form. His supporters were completely confident he would demolish opposition in the house of commons to the plea for a supreme inter-allied war council and justify lack of camouflage in his recent Paris speech. President Wilson’s plea for unity as sent to Col. House was generally regarded as clinching Lloyd Georges certainty of victory over all his opponents. A revision of the British cabinet was exepcted to result from todays debate in commons. Lloyd George expects a strengthening to enable bin) to get rid of some of the dead wood in the ministr ns. was this process of weeding out that Lord Northcliffe so hungrily demanded in his recent bomb shell letter, developed today that this letter, which was intended to help rather than hinder Lloyd George was published with the premier’s approval. Asquith is the “big gun of the opposition fire. The smaller guns on this side were also reported to be ( plentifully supplied with manufactured out of numerous petty, jealousies and enemies incurred Loyd George often ruthless procedure, ruriously enough the hostile ranks parties- the conservations. liberal.,

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

radicals, pacifist* and militarists ell being represented. BULLETIN Buenos Aires, Nov. 19—(Special to Daily Democrat)—President Braz. of Brazil has signed an order establishing military law in all states of the republic south of the state, of Rio de Janeiro. This is the section of Brazil thickly populated with Germans. BULLETIN Petrograd, Nov. 19—(SpeciaV to Dally Democrat)— American Ambassador Francis today formally requested of the bolshcviki authorities a train to carry 200 members of the American colony here to Harbin. Washington, D. C„ Nov. 19—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Three more deaths in the American expeditionary forces, one by accident, two by disease, were reported today by General Pershing. They are: Sergeant Carl G. Show. Brooklyn, coast artillery. died Nov. 12. struck by railroad train. Private Marcellus S. Cobb, Beakland, Me., infantry, died Nov. 10. pneumonia. Private Howard E. Rawlings, headquarters company, died Nov. 14. pneumonia. (By J W. Pegler, United Press Staff Correspondent) American Field Headquarters, Nov. 19 —(Special to Daily Democrat) — German night patrols are giving the Americans a wide berth since the Sammies on recent occasions accorded similar parties such a warm reception. The usual nightly excursions over No Man’s Land have been without encounters with the enemy during the last few days. Desultory artillerying kept up today, the fighting line being normally 1 active. There were no infantry ac- 1 tions. There have been no casual- ■ ties during the last few days. Gen- 1 eral Pershing paid a surprise visit to I his men in the front line trenches on i Saturday and returned today greatly I pleased with their efficiency and the < splendid discipline they showed un- | der fire. : There was one Sammy in the i trenches today who won't be likely t to soon stretch his muscles careless- i ly. He was stationed at an advanc- ( ed machine gun post, secreted behind a shallow trench. It was so shallow 1 the husky American got cramped. He luxuriated in stretching his legs and then an irresistible desire to straighten up his back came over ■ him. Forgetting of warnings, the American stood up languidly. The Germans were alert. There was an instantaneous bang and a small shell whizzed across No Man’s Land. The incautious Sammy was the target. The missile struck the ] butt of his rifle and passed on, exploding wickedly twenty feet distant. The American soldier was , knocked off his feet. He arose to his knees, cursing fluently, wiped the dirt off himself, still holding tight to the splintered piece of rifle.

With the American Forces in France, Nov. 19—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Two American soldiers i were killed and six wounded in an < engagement last Tuesday night, Gen- ( eral Pershing reported today. The dead are: John Czakt, of Milwaukee, and Stanley Janovitz, of East Bos- i ton, Mass. Washington, D. C., Nov. 19—(Special to Daily Democrat) —A German retirement on the Dixmude was reported officially today. The enemy was abandoning fortified farms along the Yser, blowing up strong redoubts. Belgian troops occupied the position, causing severe losses to the enemy, and capturing scores of prisoners. Washington, Nov. 19 —(Special to Daily Democrat)— Maximalists have taken over all power in Moscow after a week of fighting, said a message from the American consul general there to the state department today. A second message from Ambassador Francis at Petrograd said the Moscow fighting had been severe. All Americans in Moscow are safe and there has been no barm to those in Petrograd. , As a precautionary measure however, Francis advised all unattached women and married men with children to quit the city. He had asked the superintendent of transportation for two coaches for them. Kerensky, said the message, from Francis, apears to be a fugitive while government departments are closed or operated without chiefs. The Almerican embassy neighbor-, ■ hood was reported quiet with only casual shots in the streets. 11 Francis expressed Zmself as hav- : ing no fear of personal injury or of damage to the embassy.

Decatur, Indiana, Monday Evening, November 19, 1917-

TO BE MARRIED I .Jack Battenberg and Miss June Lynn Will be Married WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28 Groom is Son of Mr. and Mrs- C. S. Battenberg of Decatur. The many Decatur friends of Jack Battenberg, of Montpelier, second son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Battenberg, of Indiana street, this city, will be interested in hearing of his wedding which will be Wednesday afternoon, 2:30 o’clock. November 28, the day before Thanksgiving day. He will claim Miss June Lynn as his bride and the ceremony will take place at the hem. of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Lynn, near Hartford City. Only the nearest relatives will witness the wedding and those from here who will attend will be the groom’s parents and his brother and sister, Grace and Carl Battenberg. The couple will make their home on the Lynn farm, from which Mr. and Mrs. Lynn who are retiring from active life, will remove to the city

ORDERS FIVE YEARS AHEAD Some idea of the coal situation is given in a letter from a Decatur man who is now in the southern Illinois field looking after business. He says he thought perhaps he could help out Administrator Bell by getting a price and option on some coal but he was told by one operator that his coal was sold ahead five years while another told him that their coal was sold from Chicago and advised him to save his postage. One mine he was in loads sixty cars a day or six tons a minute and is one of the smallest mines in that section. The coai is going out by train ioarfg but doesnT seem to fill the demand.

TESTS ON RIVER; Expert Chemists, Accom- j panied by Frank Aurand, ‘ Made Trip in Boat. i i MAKE GOOD REPORT _ i Indications That Trouble is J Being Overcome —Did Not Find Dead Fish. < 1 Tests being made along the river , indicate that the efforts of the local j sugar company to prevent the killing of fish in the St. Mary’s are meeting with success. The company has spent and are still spending a large sum of money to correct this trouble and are deserving of the cooperation of our people. The general impression that poison ous matter dumped into the river kills the fish is eroneous and the only thing about it all is that the vegetable matter in the liquid when too soluable, added to the other vegetation such as leaves and sewage at this time of the year when the river is low, decreases the oxygen in the water and makes it impossible for the fish to live. Aided by state and government experts the sugar company has been working hard for many months to erradicate this. Their Steffen plant helps some and added to this they have installed a filtering system which takes the greater part of the vegetable matter out of the liquid. Three of these experts accompanied by Mr. Frank Aurand, a well known local man, recently made a trip by boat down the river to Poe. making tests each mile. They found absolutely no evidence that there was soluable matter ai the water which cleared as rapidly as the city water does here and they did not see a single dead fish. The tests are still going on and will continue until the coin- ■ pany has been successful. With such an effort being made they should have , the cooperation of every citizen and • ! every good sport in this community. ’ The best they can do is all that any ! one could do and deserves recognition.

IS NOT A PLAY HOUSE The new school house is a dangerous for children to play and it is fortunate that some one has not been injured there. Gordon Buhler, ten year old son of Jacob Buhler. had a chilly experience Sunday afternoon when he slipped off a board and fell into one of the basement pits, about eight feet, plunging into eighteen inches of icy cold water and though the only bad result was to soil his Sunday clothes he might have been badly hurt. Gordon will probably obey his aprents and stay away from there now and it is hoped his experience will have a tendancy to keep other children from indulging In "hide and seek" al the new building.

MRS. WOODS DEAD Jane Elxey Woods, Widow of E. Woods, Passed Away AT HER HOME On West Monroe Street— Was 111 Several Months. In the death of Mrs. James ElzeyWoods, widow of E. Woods, which occurred Sunday morning at one o’clock at her home on West Monroe street, the city loses one of its best known elderly ladies. Mrs. Woods was eigh-ty-four years, four months and nine days of age. Death was due to a complication of asthma and Bright’s disease. Mrs. Woods had been in failing health for several months, but she showed remarkable vitality, in combating the onslaught of infirmity, and it was not until in the past few- weeks that the decline, which gradually persisted, began to seriously tell on her. She was born August 9, 1833, in Blanchester, 0., where her girlhood days were spent. Later she came with her parents, James and MaryElzey to Adams county and all of h >r later life was spent here. She was married in young womanhood to Emanuel Woods who departed this life several years ago. Surviving children are: Mrs. Minnie Wilkinson. Decatur; Florence, wife of Eli Meyer. Fort Wayne: Jennie, wife of J. C. Polhemus. Upper Sandusky, O.; Hugh Woods, of Warsaw. Os her parental family but two arc living, being a brother, E. Elzey, <,f Ossian, and a brother, Franklin Elzev, of Monroe. Six are dead. Mrs. Woods was a member of the Methodist church. The Rev. F. F. Thornburg will officiate at the funeral services which will be Tuesday afternoon at two o’clock from the home on West Monroe street with burial in the Decatur cemetery.

CLOSES ’TONIGHT Big Y. M. C. A. Drive Will Close at 8 O’clock When Report is Made TO STATE MANAGER Indications at Noon That County Will Raise $6500 —Every Precinct Over. The Y. M. C. A. drive will close in Adams county at eight o'clock tonight at which time C. J. Lutz, the county chairman, has been asked to wire the total to state headquarters at Indianapolis. Indications at noon today were that it would be 56,500 or more and that every precinct in the county would exceed the allotted quota, a glorious record. Decatur has passed the mark by several hundred dollars. Union and Washington townships went over Saturday evening, Geneva is coming according to reports and this morning sent in a hurry call for more cards, Preble township has reported $165 and will it seems sure now, pass the S2OO mark allotted, while all the others are over, some of them double their quota. The organization has completed the most successful campaign ever conducted in the county and the men are (Continued on Page Two)

ENJOY THE SPORT Os Training New Horses For Military Work—Get Some Vicious Ones. NICE AND WARM At Camp Shelby, Says Clarence Weber—He Enjoys Camp Life. Clarence Weber writes to his mother, Mrs. Mary Weber, from Camp Shelby: Camp Shelby, Nov. 14. 1917 Dear Mother: — 1 will now try and write you a line so you will not think that I have the measles for I am no measily guy anymore as you will see for I am going to have my pictures taken and will send you one next week. Well mother how are you making it these cold days? I hope you are still able to keep warm and believe me I can for it is sure nice and warm do.vn here. Mother I never saw a more funnything in my life than today for >-e were out training our horses and Bun Keller got on one and we started them on a trot and we had a board about three feet from the ground which the horses had to jump over and as Bun went over he slid off and my what a bump he got. 1 about laughed myself to death. We sure are having some fine time while we are breaking them in. , Well mother I will close as Hitchcock wants me to go to bed so ho can crawl in with me, so here goes. Well, good-bye, with love to all. From your son, CLARENCE

K. OF C. NOTICE. District Deputy S. A. Callahan will be hero tonight to install the officers. Make a special effort tn attend this meeting. G. K. STRIKE AVERTED Seventeen Men at Siiffar Factory Cause Considerable Worry and Trouble. WHEN THEY QUIT Leaders Tried to Induce Day Men to Join Them— Sheriff Green Called.

The sugar plant is operating with . a full force of men today and it is be- . lieved the night crew will be up to the quota necessary. Several of the men , on the main floor started a strike last , night which for a few hours looked a , little serious but resulted in only , seventeen men leaving. The Steffen house was closed down and the men employed there put on the main floor. The men who left stationed themselves at the ground entrance and tried to induce the day men to quit, perhaps not realizing that at this time, such action is very serious. Sheriff Green was called and the men were soon notified that the government deemed it necessary that the sugar plants operate without interference. Os course if any of the men are disatisfied they have the right to quit but they have no right to endeavor to induce other men to do so. That the plant will be kept in operation was evidenced by the fact that several of the leading manufacturers here, headed by C. E. Bell of the LaFountaine Handle Company, proposed to close down if necessary to give their men the opportunity, urged to do so, to help out the sugar company. Its a fine spirit in this day when food factories must operate that the people shall not suffer and is appreciated not only by the men interested in the sugar company but by the level head- : ed people of this and other communities. In this connection we feel it only just to add that the men at the sugar plant have been receiving what ■ seems to be, good wages. The com- ■ pany voluntarily two weeks ago increased the wages of every man in the ’ factory twenty-five cents a day and the men who quit were receiving from ' $20.30 to $26.25 per week. Laboring men are deserving of ox-

— cellent treatment but they should also consider the fact that at times like these they have a responsibility to the nation as important as that of the men who wear a khaki uniform and they should be faithful to that trust. Unless we all stand and work together we lose much of our usefulness. All the men excepting two or three leaders have been Invited to go back to work tonight and it is hoped they do so. , A MILITARY BURIAL A military burial was given Andrew i Jackson Kirkland, well known Union township civil war veteran this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock at the East Salem church, by the G. A. R. of this city, of which he was a member.

WANTS THE WAR To Continue —Anxious to Go Across and Start After the Kaiser. CAMP IS COMFORTABLE Have No Mansion But Are Better Provided for Than Was Expected. Rufus Roop writes to his brother: ami sister as follows: Camp Shelby, Miss., Nov. 10. Dear Brother and Sister: — 1 received your letter and was glad I to hear from you. I have been feeling better in the last few days. I guess 1 will make it alright. You say you wish the war would close so we would not need to go! across, but I don’t, for I am crazy to! go across for after you are in the army a while you don’t care for anything si am ready to go any time j and 1 don't think that will be long from now. You asked me about my clothes an(L eats. We have plenty to wear and eat ! of course we have no mansion or anything like that but we have it pretty: nice for army life. About as good as 1 you could expect about our sleeping.; We role down the sides of the tents!; and close up the door and we have a; little stove which we build fire in. We‘; sleep very comfortable. Well if you wish to put any letters in the paper you may, if you wish, but there is nothing to them much, but the ; paper as I have not go out for over ( three weeks. ! i I am glad to hear you have new . neighbors but I got a card from yourj ( old ones today, it kind of surpris 'd me, but your new- neighbors, I did not know them but 1 heard the folks talk about them. , Tell Henry I told the boys what he , said and they said they would try and ( scratch him a few lines. Well. I think when we get paid that ever comes, I will try and have my picture taken, then I will send you! one. Oh yes, you spoke about having, chicken that night for supper. 1 sure do wish I could of been there for li would have relished a meal like that.| I received the tobacco. I thank yowl very much for it for 1 was about out. Well, 1 will close this evening hoping this letter finds you all well, saying good bye to all. Your brother, RUFUS ROOP. SMASHES BRIDGE RAILING Sometime Sunday, an automobile, believed to have been run and owned by parties with the initials of B and M ran into the John Augsburger bridge in French township damaging the raping and cracking the cement balusters County Supt. of Highways, James T ' Hendricks reported that the damage done by the collision, owing to the 1 carelessness of the driver would ’ amount to about twenty-five dollars. ' B and M are well known in the county and both men have within the past 1 several months been warned about ' their ’’speed” and careless driving. Miss Wetrick and Lucile Blair of ! Bluffton, with the party, escaped with a few scratches and a shaking up. . A BABY GIRL ARRIVES. Word has been received of the birth of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Helm, of Flint, Mich., last Sat urday. The babe was born at the hospital at Pontiac, where Mrs. Helm | went last week. This is the third! child in the family, the other two being boys. (

Price, Two Cent!

; MATTER OF HONOR Soldiers Fall Victims to Tuberculosis in the Trenches. ; WHAT WILL YOU DO To Help Fight It—Buy Red Cross Christmas Seals. Indianapolis, Nov. 19— More than 200,000 French soldiers have been sent back from the firing line because they were so ill with tuberculosis that they were no longer able to fight. Our men, Indiana men too, says the Indiana Society for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, “Will fall victims of this disease thru the hardships of life in the trenches. They are offering their lives for us, for every man, woman ! and child in your community. Well we do all that we can do to nurse them back to life and happiness when they come back home to us broken in health? Each community in Indiana surely is too proud, too big of heart, too deeply conscious of its obligations to its own flesh and blood to refuse adequate provision for its returned tuberculosis soldiers. Money from the j sale of Red Cross Christmas seals will I open the way for this service. "If the seal campaign in your cori- : munity this year is to be all that ,t should be. if it is to measure up to the ' magnificent opportunity for a wonderIl'ul service for humanity—to your own 1 people the selling organization for , Red Cross seals this year must in-, ; chide the very best mon and women in your community. Bankers, merchants. farmers, professional men, cl th women, must be brought to see the NECESSITY for big sales. They must be a part of the seal selling or- ! ganization. This year’s seal cam- ! paign is no plaything. It must not be I used as the outlet for the surplus I energy of two or three or a half dozen perfectly well intentioned men and women. It must be made a community effort. It must be the "Big Thing” in your community during November and December just as the Liberty Loan campaign was this October and as the Red Cross membership and finance campaigns were last summer" The sale of the Red Cross Christmas seals in Adams county is in charge of the Decatur high school and the campaign has already begun. Be sure to put a seal one every package or letter you mail or send. SERVICES IN AFTERNOON As a step towards conserving the fuel supply. Father J A. Seimetz, pastor of the St. Mary’s church announced Sunday that beginning next Sunday the weekly prayer devotionals that were formerly held on Friday evenings from seven-thirty to eightthirty would hereafter be held from | two-thirty to three-thirty on Sunday ; afternoon. This change in the schcd- | ule will at least save an hour and a | half of electric fuel and about a half 1 day of coal during the winter months. PREBLE DEFEATS MAGLEY I Magley and Preble basket ball i teams contested Sunday. Preble wln- ! ning 29 to 15. The first half was close. 14 to 10 but in the last half the Preble boys had the advantage because the referee called many fouls ’ on the visitors and the unsigned cotn--1 munication which gives an account < f I the game says the visitors got a little ■ rough The Magley players were ’ Frauhlger, Borne. A. Frauhiger, Ben--1 ers and Longenberger and for Preble, Adler. Shady, C. Smith, B. Smith. — o—--BOWMAN HAS FINE CORN I. J Bowman, well known farmer, brought thirteen ears of the finest corn showed here this tall to the Old Adams County bank, where a number of farmers have been showing and comparing corn this fall and th “se thirteen ears outclassed all that have been brought in. Two of the ears measured sixteen inches in length and the thirteen ears contained 12,4110 grains. It may pay you to take a look at the corn. TO DECATUR Mr and Mrs. A F. Shoaf, of south pt the city, will move this week to ! this city into the residence on MerIcer avenue which they purchased from Mrs. Fred Sclteimann.